AMERI probe: Kwabena Donkor, others face CID today

Three government officials of the former administration have been invited by Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to assist with an ongoing probe into alleged financial malfeasance with the Ameri power contract.

Former Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor, his deputy, John Jinapor and former Deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine say they will honour the invitation on Monday despite objections by both Majority and Minority in Parliament.

Their invitation follows a search of their residence last week for evidence or documentations on the controversial power deal by the CID who are acting on the orders of the court.

Controversial deal

The 300MW emergency power contract was secured in 2015 by the John Mahama administration to fix severe power challenges at the time after it received Parliamentary approval.

However, following a publication by a Norwegian newspaper about the deal, it was condemned for its $510 million price tag as analysts say Ghana could have secured the same deal at $150 million less.

Specifics about the ongoing probe into the deal remains a subject of speculation as security officials remain tight-lipped on the matter, however, there are strong suggestions that the contract was signed amid heavy underhand dealings.There are indications that the CID will Monday reveal the details about the investigation into the power deal.

Raids

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, on Friday gave an assurance that he would invite the appropriate security officials to discuss matters relating to the dawn raids of the former appointees, who are also MPs.

The Speaker’s assurance comes at the back of an appeal by Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, Chief Whip of the Minority, calling on him to restrain the security personnel from raids of homes of some MPs on the Minority Side, suspected to be linked to the alleged malfeasance in the AMERI power deal.

Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa, former Deputy Minister of Energy and Ranking Member on Energy, has filed an urgent motion in Parliament to have the House rescind the US$ 510 million Ameri power deal, alleging that the cost was bloated.On Tuesday, Dr Donkor had his laptops and pen drives seized by the officers when they went to the residence with a search warrant.

It was against this backdrop that the Minority Chief Whip, after the issue was not touched on the proposed Business Statement for next week, raised the matter.He observed that not only members on the Minority Side, but every Member of Parliament is a law abiding citizen and will not run away from any responsibility to assist the state to do anything.

“But Mr Speaker, the worry is the nature and manner the police is raiding the residence of Members of Parliament at dawn when that citizen is not running, when the person has not been served with a notice that he has been charged. This is a very worrying situation.

“We on this side can reassure not only the police but the whole state that every member on our side is more than willing and ready to assist in any investigation that the Government or the state wants to do but let’s do it in a manner that does not create panic and frustration.

“The invitation of these members on Monday when this House is sitting is an affront to the dignity of this House and will impede the members’ ability to perform their functions. It is with this that I want to humbly appeal to your good office to intervene and assure the Police that we, and I believe every member of Parliament, will be more than happy to assist in any form.”

Prof. Oquaye promised to summon the appropriate officials to explain why some MPs were being “harassed,” explaining that by law and the Standing Orders of Parliament MPs must be treated with some level of decorum even when they are deemed to have committed any offence.

Quoting portions of the Standing Orders, he said MPs are not to be arrested on their way to Parliament, whilst in Parliament or on their way out of Parliament.

“We will want to ascertain whether the legal process was followed. I will, soon after sitting, call the appropriate authority to my office and demand that honourable members are handled appropriately, coterminous with their office as honourable members.”

The Speaker must also be informed before any such arrests are made.The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, concurred to the request by the Minority Chief Whip.